Means for mounting instruments in their casings



R. AVIGDOR July 4, 1944.

Filed June 1o, 1942 'MEANS FOR MOUNTING INSTRUMENTS IN THEIR CASINGS Patented July 4, 1944 MEANS Fon MOUNTING INSTRUMENTS 1N THEIR cAsINGs u naat Avigdor, Toronto, ontario, canada Application June 10, 1942,y Serial No. 446,547

' In Canada April 27, 1942l y Y t s claims. (c1. 'isdior This invention relates to means vfor lmounting instruments in their casings andv particularly casings: of frangible material such as molded plastic material iibre or the like. Y

The invention may conveniently be illustrated by general reference to a fluid responsive pressure instrument which Vwill be referred to as a general example in the following specification.

In the mounting of fluid pressure instruments in airtight casings, it has been usual to employ 'a casing of frangible material, molded plastic material by which I mean material such as Bakelite, etc., which is ordinarily durable and'will withstand .compressive stress although liable to fracture `when subjected tol a tension stress. It has also been the practice to mold in the bottom of the case a bushing, nipple or the like which is usually formed with internal threads for connecting therewith a fluid pressure tube fitting or the like. Such a connection must be tightly fitted as the tting must be proof against ingress of uid other than that conducted through the tube if employed and must also prevent egress of the fluid from the tube before it reaches the casing. To assure a tight iit between the tube of the bushing, nipple or the like, it has been usual to. .tighten the iitting by way of a Wrench or similar tool, thus subjecting the case to a tension stress through the bushing which is not readily withstood by such frangible mateing the casing t a compound stress directedgalso at an angle to the plane of the casing wall which is most injurious. The result of this is that the cases of many instruments are cracked in the final connecting operation, thus rendering such instruments inaccurate and useless.

Apart from this serious disadvantage, the molding' of a bushing, nipple or the like in the wall of a case of this kind presents a complication in manufacture which it is advantageous to avoid. It is an object of the -present invention to avoid the disadvantages of this prior practice by producing a'means for mounting instruments 'in irangible cases such as plastic material, etc.,

which avoids subjecting .the cases to a compound,

tension stress under all conditions, and which may be designed entirely to avoid subjecting the cases to tension stress.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting instruments in their cases which may only subject the case to a compression-'stress readily withstood by materials of 'vide a particularly simpleand' compact type of mountingwhich willcooperate efficiently with instrument parts and which may be manufactured and assembled very readily.

` A still further object of the invention isto provide a means of mounting instruments `in casings which will provide for the connection of a conduit therewith placed in communication with the interior ofthe casing, and wherein means mayfbe provided for avoiding the transmission of tension stresses to the'casing in connecting said conduit therewith.

With these and other objects in view the invention generally comprises mounting means connected with the .instrument mechanism for mounting the latter on a Wall on the inside of the casing and a securing member having a bearing surface of substantial area designed for bearing engagement with the outside of said wall and disposed over an area thereof substantially .corresponding to but opposite to that engaging said mounting means, connecting means being provided extending through said Wall between the mounting means and securing member subjecting' Vthe casing to compressive stress only and equally distributed over a substantial area4 of the wall. .Preferably the Wall is-recessed on `the outside to receive the securing member and the latter is preferably provided with an exteriorly projecting boss or bosses that may be engaged rby tools to avoid subjecting the .casing to the smallest degree of tension stress in subsequent connecting operations.

The invention will be understood by reference to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a partly sectional view of an instrument casing illustrating a type of instrument mechanism and the manner in which it is mounted and secured in the casing according tothe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an interior wall of the casing showing'the relative position of a securing member on the outside of the wall and a clamping plate employed on the inside of the wall.

liig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of securing member. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another form ofV securing member.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a form of clamping plate that may be employed; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternative mode of associating the securing` member with the base of a casing.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates any suitable casing for an instrument which usually is formed from a frangible material such as molded plastic material, Bakelite, or iibrous material, the Walls of which will fracture or crack when subjected to a tension stress of a given degree.. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, `a pressure measuring instrument -has'been illustrated which is operated by means of a fluid pressure responsive unit B employing a diaphragm I0 clamped between the plate-like vcasing members and l2 which are `fastened ina-irtight. diaphragm. The diafengagement with the phragm is in operative connection with other mechanical parts of the instrument including a lay shaft slt, the said mechanical ,parts :in this instance being supported by ,means of supporting ,posts i4 which-arefmountedon plate-lik member .of-the'unit.

Connected with the ,plate-elikeffmernber |-2 is a mounting member ldfwhich ,is sealed in airtight engagement as Aat .It with Vthe plate-like .member |2. Moreover., `in this instance also the mounting member .|'5 .is provided with an .oriice |1 which communicates with the. interior of the unit B or, iin 'other` words, the -chamber .tormed between-the diaphragm IiLandplate-like member |12. l'Ihe mounting memberis -provided with screw threaded orifices ,18, one of which .is .illus- 'trate'd 'in Fig. l and rests xupon fthe-bottom I9 of the casing A with-a sealing gasket .2U interposed therebetween.

.On the Voutside o'f the casing A I employ a securing member inthe 'form of aplate-like `member 2|, having abearing .surface of substantial areawlch is designedv to bear upon the exterior .of the casing and, din 'fact, upon the exterior of thatwall 'ofthe casing against which lthe mountingmember lbears through its gasket 20. Preferablythis exterior wail of the 'casing is recessed as Yat '23 over .'a'n area substantially corresponding in ksize and shapeto'the securing member 2| so `that the la'tt'er'may 'be disposed in the recess 'and its jeXter-i'or surface vdisposed `mainly to vlie `flush with the remainder of vthe exterior surface of the 'side wall.V Ajgasket '24 is 'disposed 'between securing member '21| and the wall of the casing 'on kwhich it is mounted so -as to form an airtight fitting.

The 'mounting Amember |5 land securing member 32| through their Egaskets are forced into tight engagement with this wall of the 'casing by means of screws or the :like whichdraw these mem- 3bers towards each other yand subject the wall of the oasi-ng therebetween -to a compressive stress distributed over the area of these -members'which is readily withstood by material :of the 'kind in Aquestion in contradistinctien lto its tendency 'to fracture lund'er a tension stress.

In )order to Apermit labcess Yfrom the exterior of the casing to part of the mechanism therewithin', the' casing 'wall .is forifl'ced .as at '26 to registerrwith Irthe lripening i2| the securing member." 22|.. Where fit is .also desired :to have 'access to the interior of the-casing apart tfromfthefopeizling 26, a further opening 28 may be provided in the wall of the rcasi-ng. In .the case where v'but one opening 25 is provided the securing member 2| maytake the form-of asini-ple :plate-like mem- 'ber 29 shown in Fig. 3, triangular inform. Where,

however, an additional opening 28 is provided in the casing wall the securing member 2| may take the form of the plate-like member 30, Fig. 4, which is also illustrated in cross section in Fig. l. In this instance the member 30 is provided with an opening 3| which is designed to register with the opening 28 in the casing.

It is preferred in either form of securing member to provide on its inner .bearing surface, surrounding the opening 2'|`or the openings 21 and 3|, as the case may be, an inwardly projecting boss indicated at 32 in the case of the opening 21 tat 3d in the'case of the opening 3|. In this connection the orifices 26 and/or 23 in the casing wall may be made large enough so that the bosses 32 and/ or 33 may project therein as shown f `in Fig. 6. On the `other hand, it is preferred, as

:illustrated in Fig. l, to employ orifices 2B and/or 28 of a size substantially to correspond with the openings 2"! and/or 3| l3"!! surmimding the :openings .25 -and/ or 2'8 :so that the'besses 32 -a-ndor 33 :ma-y `Iit Within such me cess. This provides s, larger area against-which `the securing member y2| may bear. :lidorcovenl it .provides a gr-eater amount of .material in .this wal-l surrounding the "opening-s lthroughwhich the screws '-25 `proj ect and, therefore, :priwides astri-1cture 'of Asubstantial strength. fby providing the projecting bosses 32 and/or v33 which proect either through the foriiirces .26 and/or Y213 or into the .recesses 34 surrounding these frees, `.it :is possible .to corinne any stresses, trans-'- rnitted by ithe securing member to ic-asing, to `simple `stress transmitted through "the Ywhole thickness -'of the casing wall :and parallel f'to its plane, as will ybereferred to hereinafter. Y

In the feas@ vwhere-'a :composite fitting 2| is `provided such as .sho-wn `in Fig. 4, Iextra forices 55 vand 372 are provided `for :the :passage of securing screws -2-5 and on the inside of the casing wall: a clamping plate 31 is provided, preferably elliptical in form, to nt :in the-.casing beside the 'mounting member i5, the clamping plate being provided with the Jorices 38 and 3B to register with the orifices 35 and 36 of the securing member 2| and to register with suitable orifices in the intervening cas-ing wall. :In such a form of {con-I struction the gasket 2) is preferably laterallyv extended iso that the vextension 40 extends ibetween the clamping plate v'3l and the inner survface ef the wallof the casing. The clamping .plate receives the screws 25 and the interven- .ing portion of the casing wall is subjected 'to '.a .compressive stress. In 'this way the Isecuring member 2| provides for the hrm mounting of the mechanism in the vcasing in contradistinction to prior practice 4wherein parts of the mechanism which were not connected with the imbedded bushing were fastened by screws or vthe like, .merely passing through the Wall of .the casing and retained by Jlock washers which, owing to the nature lof the ymaterial of 'the casing, could not practicably perform their Ilocking function and consequently Worked loose.

A lfurther featureof the construction resides in the cooperation of the securing member With the casing through its mounting in the recess 23 so that aany stresses 'that may be transmitted to the casing will be :directed ina predetermined manner. In this connection the securing member and the recess substantialltT coincide in size. Therefore, in the Vcase where the lsecurin-gimember 2| is subjected to laterally fdirected pressure such -as might vbe the case in :connecting accesin the securing mem' beim-2| and torecess the wall-fof thencasing as at i v sor-ies thereto, :theside edges of theconn'ecting4 member: engagingthe` side walls. andythe recess 2 3 would subjectjthe walls, to astress .parallel to the plane of the wall which Ain-,the majority ofjcases -will be absorbed by the wall andw-illjnotmesult inrfracture. Moreover, due tothe provision of the bosses 32 and 33 as previously referred to, and the fact that they project Vthrouglotlle orices 26.'and/or 28 orinto thefrrecesssurrounding such orice or orifices and which extend through the wall substantially to, y its. ,inner surface, such. stress transmitted through or substantially throughthe whole thickness of thegwall.- Consequently such stress is conned to a simple stress directed in a plane parallelto the plane of the wall and distributed over a substantial area. Thus, having regardjto the character of the mounting means, area of the main parts and their assembly, it will be appreciated that the wall cannot be subjected to compound vtension Vstress as is the case where an .imbedded bushing is employed and which presents the greatest hazard in respect to the fracture of the frangible casings of instruments, previously referred to.

Preferably I provide on the outer face of the securing member 2| surrounding the opening 21 a b Oss 4|, the sides of which are flattened so as to form in effect a construction similar to a conventional nut. Likewise in the case of a securing member of the general kind indicated by the numeral in Fig. 4 and having a second opening such as 3|, I form on the exterior surface of the securing member a boss 42 formed similarly to the boss 4|. This provides 0n the securing member a means for gripping the securing member by means of a wrench or the like so that Where a tube or other fitting is being secured Within the opening or openings, as the case may be, the securing member can be held easily while the fitting is being secured in the opening, avoiding the remotest ypossibility of tension stress being transmitted to thecasing while tightening such fitting in the opening. In this way, therefore, I avoid subjecting the frangible casing even to the smallest degree of tension stress which might cause it to fracture.

By this simple construction I avoid the possibility of fracture of the frangible casing which has been a disadvantage in prior constructions in which fracture of the casing has been a frequent occurrence and I provide a simple and compact mounting. In the case particularly of instruments of the specific kind illustrated, an

extremely compact and efficient mounting is pron vided as the instrument mechanism, including the mounting member l2, may be set in the casing as a complete unit so that, apart from the gaskets necessary for sealing, there are only three distinct parts in the assembly of the instrument in the casing, viz., the instrument mechanism including the attached mounting member I5, the securing member 2| and the casing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an instrument of the type operated by fluid pressure, means for mounting said instrument comprising a diaphragm unit, supporting means rising therefrom, instrument mechanism carried by the supporting means, and a mounting member secured to said unit, all forming a general assembly insertable in a casing as a whole, said mounting member being designed to rest upon the interior surface of a Wall of the casing, and a securing member having a bearing surface of substantial area and designed to bear carried by; thejsupporting means, and a mounting member'secured to said'unit, all forming a gen-V eral assembly insertable in a casing as a Whole, said mounting member being designed to rest upon the interior surface of a wall of the casing,

and a securing member having a bearing surface of substantial area and-designed t0 bear against the exterior surface of said wall over an area substantially corresponding to but opposite to that engaged by the mounting member, said wall being recessed inwardly from the outside to receive the securingmember, the contom` of said recess corresponding with the contour of the securing member, the periphery of which substantially abuts the side walls of the recess and said mounting member, casing Wall and securing member having means providing a passage establishing Acommunication between the diaphragm unit and the exterior.

3. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a casing of frangible material of less resistance to tensile stress and designed to encase the instrument mechanism, of mounting means connected with said mechanism for mounting the latter on a wall of the casing inside thereof and a securing member having a bearing surface of substantial area designed for bearing engagement with the outside of said Wall and disposed over an area thereof partially corresponding to but opposite to that engaging said mounting means, said securing member being extended to project along said exterior wall beyond the area thereof engaged by said mounting means, a clamping plate disposed on the interior of said Wall over an area substantially. corresponding to that engaged by the extension of said securing member and connecting means extending through said wall between the mounting means, clamping plate and the securing member subjecting said wall to compressed stress only and completely distributed over a substantial area of the wall, said securing member, casing wall and mounting means being provided with aligned apertures affording access into the interior of the casing, and said securing member, casing wall and clamping plate also being provided, with aligned apertures affording access into the interior of the casing. A

4. Means for mounting an instrument in a frangible casing of non-metallic material of low resistance t0 tensile stresses, comprising a mounting element connected with the instrument and having a at bearing surface in abutting engagement with the inside surface of a wall of the casing, and a securing member having a flat bearing surface in abutting engagement with the outside surface of the said wall of the casing in an area substantially underlying and at least coextensive with the area of said mounting element, clamping means passing through said Wall and extending between said mounting element and securing-member and :clamping the casing Wall therebetween, said securing member, 'casing Wall and mounting :element being vprovided with apertures in registration affording communication from tthe exterior 'to :theiinterior of .the casing.

5. In anfinstrument uf the character described, the .combination with :a Acasingof -frangible material 'of low resistance vto tensile stress and designed Eto encase the instrument mechanism` of mounting means vconnected `with said mechanism for mounting Athe iatterron a Wall of lthe casing inside ithereo'f, and a securing member having a bearing surface of substantial area designed for bearing engagement with the 'outside of said Wall and disposed over an area thereof substantially corresponding to but opposite to that engaging said mounting means, :andconnectng .means extending 'through said Wa11 between the'mountln'g means and the securing member subjecting said Wall Sto compressive stress only .and equally #distributed over a substantial areafof lthe Wallsaid Wall being orinced, said securing member being providedwith an opening designed v'toreg-ister e With'a projecting boss surrounding 1its said open-7- ing and designed to it'insaid recess, 'and 'said mounting -means being provided with an vorifice lin register with the Orice in the Wall `of thecasl5 mg.v1 l I lRIFAT AVIGDOR.' 

